You are not alone, Princesses
by TwilightSparkle3562
Summary: While imprisoned in Tartarus during the events of "Twilight's Kingdom,", Celestia, Luna and Cadence are visited by a strange and mysterious figure from Celestia and Luna's past who attempts to comfort them in Equestria's darkest hour.


Disclaimer: I do not own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," or its characters. They are property of Hasbro Studios and DHX Media.

*Special thanks to Ocalhoun for inspiring me to write this fanfic.

"You Are Not Alone, Princesses"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Princess Celestia and her fellow princesses, Luna and Cadence, sat at the base of her throne without their powers as the demonic Centaur looked down on them, reveling in the fact that he would be the one that would be ruling in their place when the time would come.

"Giving up your magic so I cannot take it from you?" he remarked. "That was your plan?"

But, the three powerless princesses only responded with cold silent stares, for they knew that they had a trump card in the form of their youngest equal, Twilight Sparkle, who was sent into hiding.

"How does it feel knowing that soon every unicorn, Pegasus and Earth pony will bow to my will?" said Tirek, evilly, producing orbs containing holograms of the pony races and smashing them together. "And there is nothing you can do to stop it?!"

"You will not prevail, Tirek," said Celestia, weakly but defiant. However, Tirek had other plans for them.

"Give my regards to Cerberus," he said, producing a portal with which he sent the princesses through, determined to make them all pay for all the years he spent in that prison.

After being sent through the portal, Celestia opened her eyes to see that she and the other princesses had landed on a hard, rock floor and were in a dark part of Equestria. She could also see that her eyesight had been dimmed and was now having blurred vision.

"Sister, where are you?" cried Luna, struggling to her feet, her eyes also dimmed and now possessing blurred vision. "I can't see anything!"

Celestia groaned as she struggled to her feet and tried to walk over to her sister and niece, when she suddenly felt a tug at her left front foot. Squinting, Celestia looked down to see a shackled chained to a nail in the ground.

"We have to get out of here," groaned Luna, trying to fly but unable to do so. "Please, sister! We can't let any more of our subjects suffer!"

Luna tried several more times, but soon collapsed back onto the hard ground. Cadence also tried to break free, but even she couldn't do so. What was worse, Cadence began to think back to when she was imprisoned by Chrysalis just before her wedding to Shining Armor.

"I can't move, Aunt Celestia," cried Cadence, who was starting to feel scared. "And I can't see anything! What can we do?"

Celestia wanted to find the right answer to get out of the situation that she and her fellow princesses found themselves in. Without their magic and without their cutie marks, they were powerless to do anything. Seeing her most faithful guard dog, Cerberus, down below them gave Celestia an indication of where she and her fellow princesses were.

"We do nothing," she said weakly leaving Luna and Cadence dumbstruck. "All we have to do now is hope Twilight finds a way to defeat Tirek."

"But, she has our magic," retorted Luna, walking over to Celestia's side. "And we sent her into hiding. How do you expect Princess Twilight to defeat Tirek if she is in hiding? Tell me that, sister!"

All Celestia could do at that moment, was take in a heavy sigh and fall to the cold floor of the prison that they were in.

"We have to believe and faith in her," said Celestia, looking out over Tartarus prison. "This is Princess Twilight's biggest test, sister. Everything that I have taught her will be tested now."

"But, what if she doesn't make it?" remarked Cadence, who was feeling more and more scared. "What will become of Equestria? What will become of us?"

That was a thought that none of the princesses, especially Celestia, wanted to think of. However, they all realized that Tirek had the magic of all the pony races except their own and that Discord, the spirit of chaos who was reformed by Twilight and her friends, had deferred to Tirek's side.

"If Tirek does succeed," sulked Celestia. "Then it will be all my fault."

"Don't blame yourself, Aunt Celestia," cried Cadence. "We all agreed that giving our magic to Twilight was the only way to keep it hidden from Tirek."

"It is my fault," cried Celestia, looking back at Luna and Cadence with sharp eyes. "I was the one who sent Discord instead of her because I didn't want Twilight to be put in any danger whatsoever. Tirek is far more dangerous than any enemy that we have ever faced. Do you think I would have put Twilight against somepony so dangerous like Tirek with all that power?"

Both Luna and Cadence were shocked by Celestia's outburst and nervously backed away from her. Realizing that she had scared her sister and niece, Celestia sighed heavily and walked over towards them.

"I'm sorry if I reacted that way," she replied, weakly walking over towards them. "I'm just scared just as much as the both of you. Even I worry of what will happen if our plan fails."

"I guess we all are a little worried," said Cadence, weakly dropping to the floor. "I'm worried about Shining Armor and especially, Twilight. They could have both been drained of their magic by now."

Celestia then collapsed back onto the ground and struggled at that point to hold back tears. Everything that was happening to them now was nothing more than a real live nightmare that she couldn't get out of.

It was at this point that for the first time in her life, Celestia had to pondered the possibility of Twilight being defeated by an enemy of hers at last. She didn't want to think of it, but she had to. Even Luna and Cadence also had to ponder the possibilities as well. It seemed that all the faith that the princesses had for the outcome to come had gone out the window.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed and Cadence looked up to see a figure on two legs floating down towards them. The princess of the crystal empire squinted through her dimmed eyes to see the figure land before them and for the first time since Twilight rescued her from the Canterlot Caves, she felt at peace.

"Aunt Celesita, Aunt Luna, look," she whispered as the princesses of the sun and moon looked up as the figure landed on the steps and walked over towards them, bending down and touching Celestia's chin with his hand.

"Look at me, Princess Celestia," said the figure and the elder princess opened her eyes and let out a sharp gasp, quivering with shock and surprise by what was standing in front of her. "You all have nothing to fear."

"Is it you, master?" she cried, remembering the human-like figure from the days when she and Luna were fillies and students under Starswirl the Bearded. "It is! You have come back!"

Both Celestia and Luna lowered their heads and the figure chuckled warmly as he stood in front of the princesses. Cerberus then growled menacingly when he saw the figure, but the figure raised his hand and a gold beam of light hit the three headed dog and knocked him out cold.

"Master," gasped Luna. "Why now after all these years do you come back to us?"

"I sensed that you were all in trouble," replied the master. "Just the way I did when you were just young mares. I know of the devastation that the one called Tirek has done to your home and your subjects."

"Can you help us?" cried Cadence, worriedly, walking over to the figure. "My husband, Shining Armor, he is…"

"He is fine, but drained of his magic," interrupted the figure, as Cadence realized the shock of her love drained of his magic. However, the figure then floated over to Cadence and gently got down to her level, stroking her mane gently. "But, don't worry, he will be safe in due time. For my father will not allow Tirek to conquer Equestria."

Slightly reassured, Cadence rose to her feet and struggled to walk, but fell back down on the ground, the weight of her chain draining more and more of her energy away.

"Master, if your father cannot allow Tirek to win," remarked Luna. "Then why don't you stop him?"

"For it is written," replied the figure. "That the child of prophecy will be the one to defeat the enemy that harms others. That child is the one whom you have put your faith and trust in now."

"Twilight," gasped Luna, shocked at the realization of what the figure had said. "Princess Twilight Sparkle is the one you speak of."

"Indeed," replied the figure, floating back to the entrance to their prison. So as the father had sent me, so you send her. For it is written that the one of darkness will barter the lives of her kin for the power that you gave her. She will accept and furthermore, demand the release of the one whom betrayed you."

All three princesses looked at each other for a moment and thought that the figure was lying to them. The last time they remembered, Discord had betrayed them so they realized could it be that Tirek was going to betray Discord.

"But, why do you say that Discord will be betrayed?" cried Luna as a strong gust of wind came through the prison. "He has betrayed us and must be punished."

"The only one who will punish him is my father," said the figure. "For it is written, it was not an enemy that reproached me, but it was thou, a man, my friend."

The figure then raised his arm and shot a bolt of lightning from the tip of his finger and a giant twister formed in front of the captive princesses. It showed a moving picture of Discord being drained of his magic by Tirek, much to the shock and horror of the princesses.

"Discord was just like the man known as Judas, a disciple of mine who betrayed me into the hands of sinners," said the figure. "He was filled with guilt and decided that his spirit should be committed to my father. That was because no one would listen to him and that he was alone. For it is also written, that you shall love your enemies as I did with mine."

The princesses exchanged nervous glances and the figure raised his arm again and fired another bolt of lightning at the circling cloud. It was now showing the moment where Tirek was offering the release of Twilight' friends for their alicorn magic that they had imposed in her.

"I will give you my magic," they heard Twilight say, causing them to gasp. "In exchange for my friends."

None of the princesses knew what to say as they were all shocked and horrified at what they had heard come from the mouth of their youngest.

"I hope Twilight knows what she is doing," thought Celestia as the winds grew stronger and stronger around the prison. Just then, the figure fired an even stronger lightning bolt and was now showing the moment Twilight was demanding Discord's release as well, much to Tirek's confusion.

Just then, Tirek smiled and Twilight screamed in pain as the demonic centaur took the alicorn magic from their youngest equal. Seeing Twilight collapse on the ground, caused Cadence to shed several tears of shock and sadness. However, the figure had a reassurance for them as they all fell to the ground, feeling as those their plan had failed.

"Why do you seem saddened?" cried the figure. "Look and see."

He directed the even weaker princesses back to the screen and looked up to see Discord atone for his actions against Equestria.

"Tirek tricked me into believing that he could offer me something more than friendship," said Discord, clutching the medallion that once belonged to Tirek's brother, Scorpan. "But, there is nothing worth more, I see that now. He lied when he said that this medallion was given as a sign of gratitude and loyalty. But, when I say that it is a sign of our true friendship, I am telling the truth."

The princesses watched and witnessed the medallion restore her eyesight back to their normal color. Still, the sight of seeing their alicorn magic taken away was unnerving to say the least.

"For now," said the figure. "You must love the one you call Discord because he was the one who corrected the error of his ways. Something that my disciple, Judas, had failed to do."

With the flick of his arm, the figure dissipated the rotating cloud and at that moment, the sound of screaming was heard followed by the sounds of a cage door slamming. Looking up, the figure could see Lord Tirek, stripped of all the magic that he had stolen, locked in a cage.

"For you see," said the figure, floating up towards the princesses. "The chosen one will be tested and will make the sacrifices that will allow good to triumph over evil."

Just then, another gust of wind came through the cell and a small spark of light came up through the chain that held Celestia down and caused the chain to disappear. Celestia then felt a surge of magic flowing through her horn and felt her mane flowing once again. Her strength also was returning and now had the strength to once again stand on her feet. Luna and Cadence also felt the same strength and rose to their feet.

"Quickly, my daughters of Equestria," cried the figure. "Follow me."

So, the princesses took to the sky and followed the figure out of the prison known as Tartarus, looking back to Cerberus now awakened to guard Tirek so that he would never escape from the underground prison ever again.

Soon, they were back in the land of Equestria with their subjects now possessing their magic once again as they flew towards a large crystal tree-like castle in the distance. But, before they could reach the castle, the princesses turned back to see that the figure had disappeared.

"The master," cried Luna, looking around for any sign of the figure. "He's gone."

"His work is done," replied Celestia. "Come, we must welcome Twilight to her new world."

So, the princesses flew towards the castle, while thinking of the figure who kept them strong in Equestria's darkest hour.

None of the princesses knew of the day that would come when they would see the figure again, for all they knew that he was and always will be with them every day of their immortal and mortal lives.


End file.
